Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has declared that the option of dialogue with bandits was no longer an option open to the Federal government in tackling insecurity in the country and other emerging security crisis.
The minister, who made the disclosure yesterday, when he received a European Union (EU) delegation, led by the Ambassador of the EU to Nigeria and ECOWAS at the Ship House, said the decision was taken following experiences of past as many States have tried it and it failed.
This is just as the Minister called for more intelligence and equipment support from the European Union (EU) in the fight against insecurity, saying that it preceded this administration.
Badaru said that the EU needs to support Nigeria in the fight by taking a collaborative approach of curative and preventive measures to end the crisis in Nigeria.
He disclosed that Nigeria needed military support in areas of intelligence sharing and equipment to end insurgency in the North-East and other form of criminalities in the country in general.
Badaru added, “that dialogue with bandits was not the option in resolving the crisis as many States have tried it and failed”. He, therefore, implored EU for more support in area of intelligence-sharing and equipment to end the crisis.
On his part, the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, while addressing the delegates reiterated that the EU can help Nigeria in combating criminality in the country by sharing intelligence with Nigerian Military and giving early warning before the crime is committed.
He further noted that the European Union can help, support and strengthen Nigerian Security agencies by finding workable solutions.
